Problem in tracheostomy patient care: recognizing the patient with a displaced tracheostomy tube

There are times when a tracheostomy tube slips out of the trachea. A displaced tracheostomy tube can occur in any patient but is frequently seen in the patient with a full neck. In the overweight patient or patient with a full neck, the tracheostomy tube must pass through a greater amount of soft tissue. Because of this, a smaller portion of the tube is actually within the lumen of the trachea. When the patient coughs excessively or moves the head, the tube can easily slip out of the trachea and into the interstitial tissues of the neck. If the patient has complete obstruction of the upper airway, a displaced tracheostomy tube will result in immediate respiratory distress and can lead to respiratory arrest. If the patient has an intact or at least a partially open upper airway, the displaced tube may not cause an immediate problem. Therefore, displacement of the tracheostomy tube may not be obvious in the patient with a partial airway.